Predictable

The reaction was predictable, but still sad.

I had written an article for the local paper stressing the need for bipartisanship, especially in our county.  Shasta County sits as a red bastion in the sea of blue called California.  Right now Republicans do not have even 1/3 of the legislature, which neuters them relative to any bill having anything to do with money.

California has the ridiculous 2/3 rule for any new revenues driven by taxes, thanks to Prop 13.

This has resulted in decades of revenue shortfalls, economic uncertainty, and the once proud public education system in California is in tatters.

My point was simple:  Shasta County is one of the poorest counties in California, and has virtually no representation in Sacramento because Democrats control  the state constitutional offices and the legislature.  A red county has virtually no chance.

So, in my article,  I brought up the 1950 and 60s, when bipartisanship was the rule and not the exception.  Republicans and Democrats worked together on the great water reclamation projects that brought billions of dollars into the north state.

I suggested that voters in Shasta County consider at least more moderate representatives.

The reaction was predictable.  Conservatives raged that the Democrats have caused the economic malaise in Shasta County.  This is interesting since for the past forty years, until 2008, Republicans have dominated.  From Ronald Reagan to Arnold, California has endured the politics of austerity.  Revenues have been cut, Arnold even was elected as part of the recall of Gray Davis, and cut the vehicle license fee, which blew a 10 billion hole, compounded, that only a tax increase by initiative recovered after years of relentless budget deficits.  

Tax cuts cause revenue deficits.  I will say that again.  Tax cuts cause revenue deficits.  Tax cuts also can reduce economic demand, which damages the economy.

But according to my critics ALL of California's economic problems (which are dwindling fast) were cause by tax and spend.

Meanwhile, in blue counties,  Proposition 30 is beginning to take hold.  Desperately need revenues are about to flow into educational budgets.  These revenues will then flow into communities, with additional jobs being created; etc.

In red counties, where conservative school boards, like the one in Shasta County that is sitting on a multi-million dollar reserve, and refusing to even negotiate in good faith with the teacher's union, would rather adhere to ideological purity that common sense.

And, there are conservatives on the city council, who are cutting police officers and firemen, reducing benefits, and also are in a war with public employee unions.  

Of course the result is the increased revenues that are beginning to come in from the state and the rebounding economy are kept out of the Shasta County economy; resulting in more poverty, misery, and a recession while the rest of the blue counties recover.

I call this Potterville.

An attempt at bipartisanship, taking common sense approaches to public policy, would quite simply reduce the economy agony of our county.

But cons don't want to cooperate.  They are so brainwashed by their rich puppeteers that they argue in ways that actually hurts them.

Predictable!